Bad Idea, Bears
by HettyBobcat
Summary: Based on the short comic by DeviantArtist, Genetest - Rod runs into the Bad-Idea Bears at a bar. They offer a little bad advice by suggesting that Nicky's just shy and that Rod should give him a kiss. RodxNicky rated T for excessive alcohol consumption


The room was black. Scratch that. Black walls. The walls were painted black. The carpet was a deep burgundy. Very plush. Probably would not have been my first choice. Hard to clean. Too many drunks walking around sloshing their spirits. Bright rainbow lights spun a distance away, marking off the dance area. A silhouetted mosh-pit of dancers raved to the music. It was much too loud. Even in the bar area, one had to shout to be heard. Intimate conversations were a no-go. But people were still attempting. I suppose it worked out okay. While people were screaming their secrets into their partners' ears, no one around them even a couple of feet away could hear. Just as well. Privacy in public. How strange.

It was Princeton's birthday. He and Kate decided we should all go dancing. Dancing. Get a few drinks in her and one could hardly call _that_ dancing. She ground and writhed against her on-again-off-again boyfriend in a vulgar display. Princeton didn't seem to mind. He ground right back. They were out of my field of vision at the moment, thankfully.

Nicky wasn't dancing. Nicky didn't have a special partner. We came together. He still doesn't know. We were sitting together. He grabbed a handful of beer-nuts out of a bowl on the table we were sharing. He held them in his fist, popping them one at a time into his mouth like some kind of dispenser. It was a very manly way to eat beer-nuts, I thought.

I had a special partner. I came with him. Nicky. He didn't know. It's just as well. I could pretend. When we sit together like this, in an atmosphere like this, drinking and talking and just being with one another, I can pretend he's my special partner. I can pretend that he's more than my old college buddy - more than my room mate or my best friend.

Nicky looked bored. He'd finished his handful and was using the salty hand to prop up his head lazily, his other hand idly laying across the table. He wasn't even drumming his fingers, giving him the look of a statue. His eyes were unfocused on some unknown piece of black amidst the rest of the darkness in the room. Each table had it's own low-hanging light, bathing each couple in a dull, soft orange. I glanced down to that hand on the table. It was just a little pudgy, making it look strangely childlike. Young hands. That would be the best way to describe them. Everything about Nicky was young except his age and the thick blanket of hair covering his body. God I wanted to just nuzzle into it. I wanted to place my hand on his. I had mine poised in the air, ready to move, ready to gently place my fingers on his. I adjusted my glasses with it instead.

Damn.

Nicky picked up his beer bottle. It was empty but he made a noble effort to make certain. I bit the olive off of my toothpick which had been sitting, drying, in my empty glass.

"Want another?"

Nicky smiled as best as he could, his cheek still smooshed into his palm. He looked a little sleepy as he handed over the empty bottle as if I needed it to get him another beer. He looked appreciative, though, and that made me smile. His heavy-lidded gaze sent tingles down my body. At times like this I could just imagine… I could pretend he wasn't being lethargic. I could make-believe he was laying those bedroom eyes on me. I wanted to gaze back. I caught myself almost lowering my own head into my hand, resting my elbow on the table, and just staring lovingly into those precious, hazel gem-stone eyes. But I didn't. I'm not the type. No, I don't mean I'm not the gazing type or the romantic type. I am! I'm not the illogical, impetuous type.

I nodded, stood, and walked to the bar. Two individuals sat on their barstools leaving an empty space between them. Tiny, furry, and absolutely adorable! They didn't even look old enough to drink, but each had a full martini on the counter before them.

The bar-tender looked like a bar-tender. He was broad-shouldered in a tight, black, short-sleeved shirt revealing tattoos on his upper arms. He was bald with a handlebar mustache and sunglasses even though the room was so dark. The wall behind him was mirrored with glass shelves lined with beautiful, back-lit bottles of booze. He didn't notice me right away. I focused my attention on the menu above the bar while two tiny heads turned to me. I saw it out of my peripheral. I tried not to notice.

"Hey pal! Having a good time?" the little blue teddy bear asked me. I venture a glance his way.

"Mmhmm." I nodded.

"You look kind of sad to me." the yellow one to my right countered.

"Yeah, forlorn." the blue to my left added. My head whipped back and forth trying to keep my focus on the one speaking at the time.

"I'm perfectly happy. I'm here with my best friend and we're celebrating another friend's birthday. Why, there's a whole group of us here having fun."

"Well, your friends are having fun. But they don't know how sad you are. Here. Have a drink." The girl teddy pushed her martini my way. I eyed it suspiciously.

"I'm not depressed. I don't need to drown my sorrows, if that is what you were implying." I was becoming defensive, though I tried to remain polite. They were so adorable and seemed so kind!

"We just think a couple drinks will help you loosen up! Make you have more fun!" The blue boy pushed his martini toward me too.

"Well, since you're offering…"

"Yay!" they chimed in unison.

I downed one, then the other. I did feel loose. I felt a little more care free. The man behind the counter finally approached me.

"What'll you have?" his voice was deep, rough, but pleasant.

"A beer - "

"What kind?"

"The strongest, darkest thing on draft."

The man puckered his lips in thoughtful acceptance as if he didn't expect such an order from someone like me. He positioned a pilsner glass under a faucet and pulled a ridiculously gaudy handle, filling the container with a rich, dark-brown lager.

"And then I'll have a couple of dry martinis."

I guess it's true what they say - More Drinks, More Fun!

I looked over to Nicky and sighed. I was feeling more amorous too. I couldn't help it. He was standing at the table now, watching the dancers, probably occupying himself with trying to find Princeton and Kate in the rainbow-highlighted crowd. He had gone back to popping peanuts in his mouth, shaking his hand as if it were full of dice while he chewed.

I sighed again.

"Oh, there's Nicky!" a little voice grew in my ear. I felt a plushy paw on my shoulder.

"You know him?" I asked.

"Oh yes!" the girl bear squealed. "We go way back!"

I looked over my shoulders at the innocent-appearing bears. The question 'you do?' was apparent in the expression on my face. They nodded exuberantly.

"And we know he has a seeeecreeet." Their tones in unison harmonized musically.

"A secret?" I ventured, genuinely intrigued.

"Yeah!" the blue one confirmed. "It pertains to you!"

"It sure does!" the yellow agreed.

"But Nicky's shy." the boy pouted.

"Oh yes. He's very shy. He would never come right out and say…"

"Come right out and say what?" I urgently inquired, my curiosity piqued.

The two grinned at each other - the meaning behind their look was lost on me.

"Nicky loves you. But he's too scared to tell you! You should totally go kiss him! Yeah, let him know how you feel! Yeah, kiss him! He's been waiting on you all this time!"

The bears' voices overlapped each other as they prodded and encouraged me to do the unthinkable. But how could I refuse?! Nicky loves me! He's been waiting on me to make the first move! These sweet, cute, impish little creatures seemed so well-meaning and good-intentioned.

Emboldened by their words and borrowing courage from the excessive alcohol consumption, I would take their advice. My heart aflutter, I strode back to the table, back toward my roommate, my pal, my life-long friend. He caught sight of me approaching and smiled. He was still standing, leaning heavily on one hand supported on the table behind him. He leaned back and casually crossed his legs at the ankles as he stood. He popped another peanut into his mouth from his fist. Chewing it, he flashed me a half-smile, his head lolled back comfortably.

I sat the drinks down. I pushed his lager toward him and nodded to it, then I picked up one of my drinks, downing it in two gulps. I'm not much of a drinker, so this brazen act drew Nicky's thick eye-brows up in surprise. I downed the my second martini just as fast, causing me to shake my head and gasp, squinting my eyes shut tight.

"Wow!" I exclaimed involuntarily. Nicky chuckled good-naturedly. Eyeing the olive in my empty glass, I daintily picked up the toothpick. Gazing drunkenly into my love's eyes, I placed the plump, vodka-soaked fruit between my teeth and ate it in the most seductive way I could manage. Remarkably, I didn't feel silly at all! Leaning dangerously close, resting my cheeks in my hands I smiled dreamily. I sat back a little, freeing up my right hand to pick up the second olive. "I've always been partial to the color green. Green things just look so… tasty." I put emphasis on the statement by popping the firm, fleshy food into my mouth. At this point, I couldn't gage Nicky's reaction. I was too far beyond intoxication for that!

I smiled suggestively. My head was swimming. The very atmosphere of the place seemed to scream at me to continue. I wanted him desperately and I knew he wanted me! I stood from my chair unsteadily. This was the moment. Self-assured, I clasped Nicky's forearm, pulling him upright to look me in the eyes.

His mind-frame, I'm sure, was much clearer than mine, as I'd downed five glasses of strong alcohol in rather quick succession whereas Nicky had only had one beer. I didn't let that notion deter me. I snaked my arm behind Nicky's back and pulled him close with an abruptness only found in a lustful man.

Neatly manicured fingers and soft palms - I raised a hand to caress my love's cheek slowly and gently. I didn't want to scare him. I was nervous too. His eyes told me everything - at least, I thought they did. I hummed out a soft, thoughtful noise, more of a vocalized sigh. But the sound was likely lost in the loud ambience of the club. I leaned in closer. My intentions were painted obviously in my slow, deliberate actions. Closer, closer… My eyes slid closed, my lips parted ever so slightly. I was going to do it. I was going to kiss my best friend and physically show him how much he meant to me and how much I loved him.

"Uh, Rod?" His tone was calm, almost casual, and thoroughly confused. "What are you doing?"

My eyes popped open and I returned to myself slightly. I sputtered for a moment, grasping for some explanation after realizing that I had either been deceived or that these mysterious, supposed acquaintances of Nicky's were mistaken. What could I possibly say? The embarrassment washed over me. It was a thick, palpable sensation that I was all too familiar with. I had to think of something quick! Something heart-felt yet casual. Something convincing yet not obvious. Something profound, something cool. I'm a smart man! I can easily talk my way out of this!

I opened my mouth to smooth over the awkward moment. "…Uh…"

Damn.


End file.
